The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines recently formed a partnership with The Incubation Network (TIN), xchange, and make sense to continue supporting the development of impact entrepreneurs who create innovative solutions for a vision of no plastics in nature by 2030.
The WWF and TIN pointed out that plastic pollution needs to be addressed because it threatens communities, marine life and the Earth’s ecosystems.
A recent WWF Philippines report estimated that about 2.15 million tonnes of plastics are generated annually in the country.
To address this, WWF is implementing the No Plastics in Nature initiative where it works with cities, policymakers and businesses in eliminating unnecessary plastics, shifting to sustainable inputs, and doubling global reuse, recovery, and recycling.
Part of this initiative is the Plastic Smart Cities, a global movement of cities and tourist destinations that works on eliminating plastic pollution through innovation.
WWF and TIN partnered in 2019 to launch a key piece of the Plastic Smart Cities strategy: tapping impact entrepreneurship to address plastic waste.
Impact enterprises are emerging as a sustainable solution to complex development challenges. When combined with other forms of support and capital in a blended finance model, WWF said the adoption of market-based models makes it possible to crowd-in investments, build an ecosystem, achieve sustainability, and scale solutions. In the Philippines, the plastic waste sector is a frontier sector.
The partnership provided a boost to impact entrepreneurial innovations and sustainable solutions through hackathons, a sprint and Makesense’s incubation program, Makesense academy, held in 2020.
“The Incubation Network is proud to partner with WWF, xchange, and make sense to tackle plastic pollution in the Philippines with building communities that nurture, grow and support holistic innovative solutions as one of our focus areas,” said Simon Baldwin, Director of The Incubation Network.
Baldwin said they are “excited to see the strong community ecosystem that is being built through this program.”
Over five months, from April to August this year, the entrepreneurs will learn from experts in innovation and systems thinking, marketing, accounting, strategic planning, the circular economy, gender lens investing, and pilot designing, among others.
They will go through a rigorous process, including classes, learning-by-doing workshops, interactions with mentors and ecosystem leaders, and peer learning activities in a safe space that will allow them to gain knowledge and skills, reflect, and build relationships with other stakeholders to help them establish their businesses and prepare them for investment readiness.
WWF Executive Director Katherine Custodio said environmental conversation has been propelled by innovation and the people’s desire to care for people.
“We are happy to partner with xchange, The Incubation Network and make sense, who are key experts in the field of innovation, as we are optimistic and excited to tap the potential of social entrepreneurship in addressing plastic pollution in the Philippines.”